Bottles are conventionally blow molded by extruding a molten parison between a pair of mold halves, closing the mold halves on the parison and inserting a blow needle into confined parison. Pressurized blow air is then flowed through the needle to inflate the parison against the mold cavity walls.
The manufacture of aseptic blow molded bottles requires that precautions be taken to maintain the sterility of the blow needle and of the adjacent air paths of the needle assembly. Contamination of the needle or paths could result in blow air carrying contamination into the interior of the bottle and destroying the sterility of the bottle.
Aseptic bottles are conventionally blow molded by sterilizing the needle and paths prior to use and maintaining sterility by flowing sterile air only through the paths during use. The needle may be heated to prevent loss of sterility. The possibility remains however, that the needle can become contaminated when the mold halves are open.